Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter
The Scoop on Social Media
Social media platforms have always been popular and kids today are exposed to them at young ages! As an educator in her mid-twenties I remember having to beg my mom to let me have a Facebook in middle school and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Nowadays students have access to various apps that allow them to post, tweet, make videos, and so much more simply from their phone. I like to believe that I keep up with the latest trends and have even gotten on Tik Tok during the pandemic. It’s always fun to check out the latest social media app! With today’s technology we have the ability to promote reading and share information to users of all ages. When it comes to posting on social media we need to think about our target audience when choosing a platform to share the information. What we choose to share should be enticing to authors and grab their attention. Social media resource that we need to take advantage of!
There is
no doubt that Facebook is a popular social media platform but you have to
ponder who is it popular among? When I
bring up Facebook with my students they typically only associate their parents
with it. Very few students actually have
an account and they know of it because their parents are on it. I’ll admit I thought it was awesome when I
got to make an account on Facebook but these days I use it only to post updates
here and there about bigger moments in my life.
At the heyday of Facebook for me I would check it every day and nowadays
it’s usually only if I have a notification pop up. With that being said I believe a school’s
library page should be geared more towards keeping parents aware of what’s
going on in the library.
After looking at several school libraries’ pages the majority of them posted about events in the library, information pertaining to school, ideas to promote reading at home, book recommendations, and articles and videos occasionally. On the posts there was sometimes a like or comment but they were primarily only shared. My recommendation would be to create a school library page that’s target audience is geared towards parents. Students nowadays rarely have an account and if they do it’s maybe when they’re in high school. If I was a high school librarian that would be the only reason I would rethink my approach.
Pros:
o
Popular, well known social media site.
o
Easy to share information in multiple ways.
o No limit on words per post.
Cons:
o
Geared towards an older demographic.
o Pages don’t always get a lot of traction.
Rating: Third
Twitter became popular when I was
in high school so naturally I’ve had an account since then. I’ve had an account but only ever tweeted here
and there. I never felt the need to
update the outside world on every thought that popped into my head and felt
restrained by the 140 character limitation.
Since I started my master’s program though I’ve started to follow more
people in the literary world and have seen the benefit that Twitter can
have. It’s a great way to share what
your reading, stay informed on current topics, and to generate conversations
with others in our field.
Twitter allows users to give brief
snippets that hook readers, provide information, or generate conversation. This platform allows you to get straight to
the point while at the same time utilizing the 4 C’s. The 140 character limit gets right down to
the pertinent information, grabs your attention, and if you’re interested in
learning more a link is provided. Nowadays
this is what users want instead of a long post that could’ve been condensed to
a short blub. The way I think about is
that Facebook is to Twitter what a faculty meeting is to a staff wide
email. I would recommend that if you
create a Twitter for your school’s library gear it towards your students. It’s an easy way to recommend books, promote
events in the library, share helpful tips and tricks for research, and to
generate conversation.
On a personal note, Twitter is a
great resource to expand your professional community. I’ve been following several in the literary
field for over a year now and it’s been amazing. I stay up to date on what’s happening in the
literary world, and take advantage of the quick blurbs of information. It’s been a great way for me to discover
topics that intrigue me and to easily find information. I’ve branched out to following my favorite
authors and even my fellow classmates now.
While I was perusing Twitter I came across a few tweets that made an impact. I was happy to see that Gwyneth Jones at The Daring Librarian was one of the recommended to follow. I discovered her the other day while completing another assignment and fell in love with her blog. She has a way of grabbing her reader’s attention and I was happy to see that she’s in a middle school library too. I always feel as if were a rare breed and it was a joy to find a kindred spirit. I already follow her personal blog but was thrilled to see a link to her school library blog too! On her feed I found several ideas to incorporate into my library!
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Pros:
o
Easy to navigate.
o
Straight to the point.
o
Popular with younger generation.
Cons:
o
Limited to 140 characters.
o Need to look at the app daily to stay up to date.
Rating: Second
Instagram
Instagram is by my favorite social media platform and the one I use on a daily basis. I’m very much a visual learner so I’m always looking for a post to grab my attention. Since I started my teaching career I began following users that either taught middle school or ELAR and lately I’ve been following bookstagram and STEAM accounts. When I scroll through my Instagram feed I’m constantly amazed at what I see and learn. I’m able to get ideas to implement both in the classroom and library that will allow me to expand my student’s learning. I love seeing my bookstagram user’s stories on a daily basis because I’m exposed to so many books and my to be read pile gets even higher as a result!
It’s a goal of mine to start an Instagram account once I’m running my own library. I would post events, contests being held, graphics with links to students work, and book recommendations. Another great aspect of Instagram is the story feature and the ability to create highlights. I would create various highlights to showcase books available in the library, such as new to the library, black history month, graphic novels, YALSA finalists, etc. I believe the possibilities are endless with Instagram and that this is the social media platform that would have the most buy in from students. You could even run a contest through Instagram and share the winners on your story by tagging them. If you wanted to use Instagram as a professional resource there are several awesome accounts to follow or you could even inspire others with your ideas!
Pros:
o Popular with younger generation.
o
Beneficial to promote the library and connect
with professional peers.
o Users can post to feed and stories.
o Highlight feature.
Cons:
o
Primarily for photos, not text.
o
Links aren’t always easy to access.
Rating: First
Feel free to check out my Twitter and Instagram account
for a glimpse into a few of my favorite books, authors, quotes, and
personal book reviews!
After reading other blogs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, a common denominator is how Facebook is no longer a "trending" site. However, both Twitter and Instagram are gaining more popularity, and what better way to gain student interest by using these platforms to promote the school library program. Although as you mentioned, Twitter and Instagram do have disadvantages I think they outweigh the disadvantages that Facebook has. As future librarians, I think it is so important for us to follow and use what our students are most engaged in. The more students we can reach by popular demand, the better capabilities we have of reaching them. I enjoyed reading your blog post, very informative!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Facebook is not as popular as it used to be. I personally prefer Instagram over Facebook. Twitter is also a great platform to use. I hope to use some of these social media platforms in my future library. They are easy to use and students seem to like them. Thank you for sharing your views on these.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you included the pros and cons for each social media platform. I also prefer Instagram, it is very user friendly and very popular today. I liked your idea of showcasing books available through highlights, that is a great way to promote reading and it is easily accessible.
ReplyDelete